Wolverine and the X-Men (Animated Series)
Wolverine and the X-Men is an animated TV series that has been confirmed by Avi Arad.July 2007 Little is known on when it will air. So far, most of the characters shown in a promotional image are dressed in their Astonishing X-Men and Uncanny X-Men costumes with a few slight changes. Production on the series has already begun. The first three episodes, which will air as the pilot for the series, are being written by Greg Johnson, who has contributed to several other Marvel animated features.Comics Continuum: Saturday, March 4, 2006 - under the MARVEL ANIMATION ROUNDUP heading News The series was in the preproduction stage as of April 2007 and early news had speculated the show to air in fall 2008- due to air Summer 2008 on BBC UKFirst Look: Wolverine & The X-Men - Marvel.com News. However, the speculation came to a rest as according to Marvel Quartely reports, the show is scheduled to air in Spring 2009.MARVEL REPORTS Q4 2007 NUMBERS: PROFIT MORE THAN DOUBLES - NEWSARAMA It was also confirmed in an article by USA TODAY's website in which it specifically mentions the cartoon starting in early 2009 on Nicktoons Network. Production team Wolverine and the X-Men is the direct follow-up to the fourth season of [[X-Men: Evolution] the same creative team behind the show is returning to work on the new cartoon. Steven E Gordon, Greg Johnson, and Boyd Kirkland have all returned to work on this new series. Story After an attack on the mansion, Professor Charles Xavier and Jean Grey are missing. The X-Men disband and Scott begins to suffer from depression. Emma Frost is able to locate a comatose Charles on Genosha in the care of Magneto. Professor X telepathically orders Wolverine to lead the X-Men and set out to save the world from The Sentinel Project and prevent the Brotherhood of Mutants from taking over the world before the future ends up a bad one. The series begins with Wolverine saying good-byes to the X-men, as he has done many times. He leaves Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and Colossus in the Danger Room as his good-bye to them. He then tries to talk to Rogue who is oddly distant and distraught over his departure. Cyclops and Jean Grey are arguing about Scott owing Wolverine an apology (for what, is not revealed). As Wolverine approaches Charles Xavier with Storm, the Professor cringes in pain as does Jean. There is a sudden blasts and Wolverine awakes one year later from napping under a tree. As he is on his motorcycle, there is an explosion in the distance. He rushes to the site where several RVs have collided with a train in a fiery blaze. A child is trapped inside the flames and Wolverine rushes in to rescue the child. As he reaches her, the trains explode again. As the rescue crews uncover more debris, they find Wolverine (referring to him as "it" for being a mutant) and the girl under him, safe from the blast. The girl's father rushes to aid Wolverine to the dismay and fear of the crowd. A man in the crowd, the father's neighbor, has called the MRD (Mutant Response Division, a government-sponsored military force that captures "unregistered" mutants regardless of status, violent or non-violent, with excessive force and a large supply of military hardware) to arrest "it" because he's a wanted mutant. The father takes his family and Wolverine to his home to care for him. To their surprise, Wolverine's wounds heal and they are thankful since Wolverine would most likely not be welcomed at a hospital. Soon, the MRD arrive at the house, barging in through the front door, armed with heavy weapons. They arrest the family for harboring a mutant and Wolverine battles the MRD forces for a short while, but the MRD escapes with the family. Wolverine returns to the remains of the Xavier Institute and enters an underground chamber where Dr. Hank McCoy, aka Beast, is working. Beast states that he cannot determine what caused the blast that destroyed the institute, but it was centered on Charles' position. However, he cannot determine what caused it. Wolverine informs Beast of the arrest of the family and wants to free them. Beast is surprised and disgruntled that the MRD is arresting non-mutants without charge as well as mutants. Beast and Wolverine infiltrate the MRD compound and release the captives which include the family, Dust, Rockslide, Boom-Boom, Wolfsbane and Pyro. The mutants part ways and Wolverine sees the family off, but both Wolverine and Beast are concerned that the MRD prison compound will be filled with more mutants shortly. They then agree to bring back the X-men. Iceman aka Bobby Drake joins the X-men against the will of his parents. Angel aka Warren Worthington III is unable to join the X-men because of his father's alliance with Senator Robert Kelly, proponent of the MRD. Colossus aka Piotr Rasputin refuses to abandon his family again. Rogue is too annoyed with the X-men and ends up joining the Brotherhood instead (consisting of Blob, Toad, Domino, and Quicksilver). Nightcrawler is nowhere to be found. Cyclops is still depressed over Jean's disappearance. However, the X-men are able to locate Kitty Pride aka Shadowkat on her way to Genosha. After a trap to make the X-men look like assassins against Senator Kelly, the Mutant Registration Act passes, thanks to Rogue's betrayal and the Brotherhood's assistance. With that, Angel relocates funds towards the Xavier Institute to rebuild the mansion, the X-jet, the Danger Room and Cerebro with the help of Forge, who is the X-men's technician. The need for a telepath surmounts the animosity toward her, so Emma Frost is brought onto the team. With her assistance, they find Xavier on Genosha. Cylcops joins the team after being informed that Charles is still alive. Throughout the series, Magneto advertises Genosha where there is equality, freedom, and acceptance for mutants. The attack on Magneto fails and he reveals that Xavier washed up on the shores of Genosha in a coma. Xavier appears from the future, with a message that in twenty years, the MRD has become immensely powerful, issuing the full Sentinel program as seen in comic book series. Mutants are hunted like animals by machines while the city is in ruins. Xavier states that the X-men must stay together under the leadership of Wolverine in order to prevent the post-apocalyptic future from happening. Cyclops was asked to stay even if he wasn't a leader and if he wasn't with Jean. Charles warns Wolverine that Africa has been destroyed by Storm some how and Wolverine and his team must act to stop it. After a battle with an alternate version of Shadow King, Storm rejoins the X-men after she is shown his coma-state after Frost successfully frees Storm from his control. Gambit appears as a member of the Thieves' Guild who tries to steal a mutant power inhibitor for the MRD, but is stopped by Wolverine after a battle at the Sentinel Prowler factory. Nightcrawler meanwhile boarded a cargo ship illegally transporting mutants to Genosha and battles the crew to protect the mutants from abuse. A pirate ship arrives with Spiral and the Reavers, under the command of Mojo, who try to sink the ship. Nightcrawler single-handedly takes down the Reavers and force them into retreat after repairing the cargo ship and sinking the Reavers'. Then, the X-men arrive, asking Nightcrawler to join, but he wants to assure the mutants' safe passage to Genosha. As of now, the roster of X-men include Wolverine, Cyclops, Shadowcat, Iceman, Beast, Forge, and Emma Frost. In The Future Charles Xavier awakes 20 years in the future from his coma to see that the world has become a desolate wasteland where Sentinels, manufactured by Mastermold, hunt down any and all mutants without discretion. Surrounding the remains of the Xavier Institute are tombstones for each and every one of the X-men. Africa is a lifeless continent after Storm was tricked by Shadow King, but Xavier was able to warn the X-men in the past about this possible event. Using Cerebro, Xavier is able to frequently communicate with the X-men in the past. While transmitting however, Sentinels locate Xavier and capture both him and Cerebro itself in order to find many mutants. At the processing facility, human agents are enhanced physically with cybernetic implants that can override the biological components. The facilities are mostly automated and force mutants to wear a mutant inhibitor bands while simultaneously try to duplicate their powers by force. Xavier and Bishop together are able to liberate the facility with Cerebro, establishing a new team of X-men in the future consisting of Bishop, Marrow, Magma, Hellion, and Domino. Characters The following characters have appeared in promotional material: * WolverinePromotional image at ENewsI.comPromotional image at Toon Zone * Cyclops * Emma Frost * Nightcrawler * Beast * Storm * Professor X * Rogue * Colossus * Shadowcat * Dust * Domino * Wolfsbane The following Characters have been confirmed by Sources: * Iceman * Angel * Squidboy * Forge, Kamal * Senator Robert Kelly * Magneto * Mystique * Scarlet Witch * Avalanche * Sabretooth * Jean Grey * Pyro Progress The series was in the pre-production stage as of April 2007. It looks like it might air early 2008.New X-Men Cartoon Early Fall 2008? The series has premiered in Canada and is available for viewing online through online streaming video sites. Cast * Steven Blum - Wolverine * Nolan North - Cyclops * Kari Wahlgren - Emma Frosthttp://www.kariwahlgren.net/resume_vo.html * Jim Ward - Professor X * Yuri Lowenthal - Icemanhttp://www.yurilowenthal.com/wst_page4.html * Liam O'Brien - Angel, Nightcrawlerhttp://web.mac.com/voiceofobrien/LiamOBrien/2VO_Resume.html * Fred Tatasciore - Beast * Danielle Judovits - Shadowcat * Kieren Van Den Blink - Rogue * Dominic Janes - Squidboy * Roger Craig Smith - Forge, Kamalhttp://www.rogercraigsmith.com/resume.htm * Richard Doyle - Senator Robert Kelly * Tom Kane - Magneto * Tamara Bernier - Mystique * Kate Higgins - Scarlet Witch * James Patrick Stuart - Avalanche * Peter Lurie - Sabretooth Trailer The 2 minute debut trailer, available at Marvel.com gives an insight into the series's story line, showing it to be closely related to the 2000's animated series, even having a variation of the theme song in the trailer. The same creative team behind the X-Men: Evolution show is returning to work on the new cartoon. Steven E Gordon, Greg Johnson, and Boyd Kirkland have all returned to work on this new series. Crew * Jamie Simone - Voice Director Social Commentary The Mutant Response Division acts similar to a military police or the Nazis in Germany, arresting mutants without provocation and then detaining them, and those who "harbor" mutants, without any formal trial or such legal action. It is most likely paralleling the PATRIOT Act in the U.S. along with other forms of discrimination. Angel comments that his father knows he's a mutant, but he is labeled as the family's "unspoken," much like how "traditional" families do not discuss a child's homosexuality/bisexuality if it is revealed. References External links *